Responsibility for the industrial environment

In Thai Nguyen, the mining hub of the North, safety is not just an administrative procedure but a mandatory responsibility. From controlling industrial explosives warehouses to organizing chemical incident response drills, the province is gradually building a comprehensive management mechanism to ensure a balance between industrial development and environmental protection.

The issue of ensuring safety in mineral exploitation and the use of industrial explosives is always taken seriously by Thai Nguyen province. In the photo: Mining and processing of minerals at Nui Phao polymetallic mine. Photo: TL

Safety of mineral exploitation and industrial explosives

In the context of widespread industrialization and modernization, environmental safety management in mineral exploitation and the use of industrial explosives is posing a great challenge. With a long history of mining, Thai Nguyen faces the dual requirement of both promoting economic growth and controlling environmental risks.

According to the Thai Nguyen Department of Industry and Trade, safety management does not stop at licensing or issuing regulations. Each document comes with a system of instructions, inspection, supervision and practical appraisal. The focus is on requiring businesses to prepare risk assessment records, develop emergency response plans and strictly comply with new regulations, such as Circular 24/2025/TT-BCT on risk management in mineral exploitation and Circular 31/2025/TT-BCT on basic design of mining projects.

Comrade Pham Van Tho, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade, emphasized: Environmental safety, especially in mineral exploitation and processing, is always given top priority. This is a field with many potential risks, so the Department regularly directs, organizes training and conducts periodic inspections.

Particularly for industrial explosives, even a small mistake can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, management work does not stop at licensing but also involves monitoring, accompanying and requiring businesses to strictly implement safety measures.

Hoang Nam Company Limited (Cho Don Commune) strictly controls the entire process of using industrial explosives to limit risks and ensure safety in production.

In the first 9 months of 2025, the Department of Industry and Trade issued new, reissued and adjusted 30 licenses for the use of industrial explosives; at the same time, issued 121 certificates of technical safety training for personnel directly working with explosives and explosive precursors.

There are 6 blasting service units that are strictly supervised during the construction process, ensuring that no steps are missed. Along with that, 4 mineral mines have completed the acceptance of industrial explosives warehouses according to safety standards, mandatory conditions before being put into operation.

Mr. Ta Van Buu, Director of Son Ha Company Limited (Na Ri Commune), said: Currently, the company is exploiting two limestone mines in Phja Cang and Thom O with an output of about 2 million m3/year, regularly using explosives in mining. Therefore, the company attaches special importance to safety: the explosives warehouse is built according to standards, before each blasting session there is a detailed plan, strict supervision and management, and regular training for workers.

Reality of work to ensure safety in mineral exploitation and industrial explosives   This shows that, along with the management work of the functional sector, it also reflects a change in awareness, when businesses understand that safety is both a legal obligation and a shield to protect themselves against potential risks.

Tight control to reduce risk

If industrial explosives are considered “hot spots” that are easily identified, chemicals and waste ponds also pose similar risks. Therefore, Thai Nguyen has identified chemical management and ensuring the safety of waste ponds as priority tasks to prevent risks.

Since the beginning of the year, the Department of Industry and Trade has received 25 dossiers on chemical incident prevention, 2 dossiers on response plans and reviewed 3 dossiers on adjusting business eligibility certificates. At the same time, 11 incident response drills have been organized at enterprises, contributing to improving the ability to handle emergency situations, limiting risks to the environment and the community.

In particular, the direct coordination of the management agency in resolving people's petitions related to Nui Phao Mineral Exploitation and Processing Company Limited shows that environmental safety is not only the responsibility of the enterprise, but is also associated with social consensus and trust.

Chemical and petroleum safety monitoring at Da Phuc port (Thai Nguyen Petroleum Joint Stock Company).

Mr. Nguyen Minh Thuan, Head of Da Phuc Petroleum Port Warehouse (Thai Nguyen Petroleum Joint Stock Company), said: Safety in chemical management is always a priority. At the port, the entire process of transporting and importing and exporting petroleum is strictly controlled; the tank system is equipped with pressure monitoring sensors to prevent oil spills; the import and export terminal is equipped with a collection pit and a tank to treat oil-contaminated wastewater. The unit also regularly organizes fire prevention, fire fighting and oil spill response drills to proactively deal with all situations.

In addition, the authorities have appraised and issued 31 chemical import licenses and received greenhouse gas inventory reports from 42 units. These figures are an important basis for the province to build and plan sustainable development policies accurately and effectively.

For industrial clusters, the Department of Industry and Trade requires that infrastructure must be built synchronously, accompanied by risk assessments and mandatory acceptance records. Enterprises, especially in the fields of mineral exploitation, chemical and explosive use, must fully comply with the process from basic design, risk reporting to emergency response plan development. This is a management method "from foundation to operation", aiming to minimize negative impacts on the environment.

Industrial development must go hand in hand with strict waste management, environmental protection and sustainable use of resources.

From licensing, supervision to incident response drills, every step is aimed at protecting people, the environment and sustainable development. The highlight is the synchronous inter-sectoral coordination, helping businesses both comply with the law and proactively prevent risks, affirming that industry can only be sustainable when associated with social responsibility and environmental protection.

Director of the Department of Industry and Trade Pham Van Tho said: In the coming time, the Department will promote training and improve safety skills for officers and workers, especially at facilities using explosives and industrial chemicals. Along with that, it will tighten inspection and supervision, and at the same time guide businesses to strictly implement safety procedures, to limit risks and ensure sustainable production.

Industrial environmental safety is a legal obligation and a vital element in the sustainable development strategy. Thai Nguyen is showing that, with detailed management mechanisms, strict inspections and effective inter-sectoral coordination, mineral exploitation and processing, the use of explosives and chemicals can go hand in hand with environmental and community protection. More importantly, in this safety chain, not only businesses but also the government and people play an indispensable role.

Recently, the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province has issued a document directing relevant departments, branches, localities and units to proactively and seriously implement synchronous solutions to manage and protect mineral resources in the area. Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee requires departments, branches, branches and People's Committees of communes and wards to enhance the role and responsibility of leaders in mineral management; strictly grasp the guidelines, policies and laws of the Party and State; review and implement approved plans and projects; strengthen inspection, examination and strictly handle violations.

The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Agriculture and Environment to preside over and advise on the issuance of management documents, delineate prohibited areas, and temporarily prohibit exploitation; organize auctions of mineral exploitation rights; inspect and handle violations; build a mineral geological database to serve management, meeting digital transformation requirements.

The Department of Industry and Trade manages minerals (except construction materials), improves the quality of mine design appraisal, inspects compliance with approved designs; strictly handles mines that exploit designs that violate design; closely monitors mineral export activities to ensure legal origin.

Regarding the Department of Construction, the Provincial People's Committee requested to strengthen the management of mineral exploitation for construction materials, ensure compliance with approved mine designs, environmental protection, and labor safety; take the lead in coordinating to strictly handle cases of taking advantage of dredging channels to illegally exploit sand and gravel.

For mineral exploitation units, the Provincial People's Committee requires that they can only exploit when they have complete procedures and land lease contracts; strictly comply with mine design, tax obligations, environmental protection regulations, and labor safety; publicly and transparently disclose records and books, and be responsible before the law for exploitation activities.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/tai-nguyen-moi-truong/202510/trach-nhiem-voi-moi-truong-cong-nghiep-009270d/